new clothes & wore a specially carbolized vest so that if they were wounded it would act as an antiseptic. All identifications were left behind such as regimental badges etc so as not to let the enemy know what regiment was attacking in the event of wounded being left behind. At 10pm (this was zero hour) an intense bombardment of the German salient began and at 10.20 the Artillery lifted and the column started. They had to climb over our parapet and pass through our wire where passages had been prepared the night before. The Germans had started their barrage but we had no casualties from this at first. The parties had very